Counting Souls
by BananaSwirl
Summary: As orphans in Republic City, Mako and Bolin find themselves entangled in the dark underground business of the Triads. AU
1. Chapter 1

This is expected to be very short, maybe five chapters or so.

Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Korra

* * *

The truck rolled along Kuei Avenue and crossed over onto Hei Bai Street without event, moving slowly and with great care. The tires rolled over the asphalt, coasting downhill and rising up them again, illuminated by the moon and the street lights. The cargo in the back swayed on occasion, only to be held in place by thick rope.

The driver pushed his cap forward as he passed a policeman, nodding a small greeting. His hands were unusually small, even more so with his large sleeves hanging down. "Turn here?" He asked and looked towards the man in the passenger seat.

The man looked at the intersection and jerked his head to the right. "Here," he said and pointed to the building just down the street. "Pull to the curb and keep the engine running."

The driver obliged, thrumming his fingers against the wheel. He pulled to the side of the road in front of the building. He moved to put the truck in park but the man slapped his hand away.

The man jumped out and walked briskly to the door of the building. The driver watched as it opened, spilling golden light on the man, and then a very small man stepped out. He was dressed in green and silver, in fine clothes that had been tailored just for him.

"New shipment," the driver's assistant said to the small man. "You'll like this one." He led the small man to the back of the truck and the driver leaned to look at them from the side mirror. The back of the truck opened and the driver saw his companion open a crate and pass a silk pouch to the small man. "It's called the Phoenix."

The small man brought the silk pouch to his nose and inhaled deeply. He pulled his head back and coughed, passing the pouch back to the other man. He grinned, revealing perfectly aligned teeth save for an empty space. "What are ya gonna let me have it for?"

"Oh, the usual price. You're a good customer, we can count on you." The man tugged on his beard. "Unfortunately, I can't let you have it all until you finish paying for the last shipment. Consider this an act of kindness, you clear your debt and get this half off my hands, then you get the rest. I'll even give you a month." He smiled and seemed to catch the driver's gaze in the mirror. "It's an offer you can't refuse, Li."

Li ground his teeth, an audible noise that made the driver wonder how his teeth were so nice. "Deal." He held out his hand for the other man to shake and looked towards the back of the truck.

"I knew you wouldn't refuse," the man said and made a pulling gesture. The crates in which the supply was carried in had been weighted down with rocks, which now came to the earthbender's command. He used his bending to set the crates down in front of Li. "You'll have to get them inside on your own, I'm afraid," he said and walked to the front of the truck.

The driver ducked down in his seat, burying the bottom half of his face into his jacket. As his companion re-entered the truck, he kept his gaze on the road before him. "It's not going to hurt anyone, is it?"

" Just drive," the man said and Mako drove.


	2. Chapter 2

Bolin's life was defined by a balancing scale.

On one hand, he had a place to stay. It wasn't so bad, really. Shady Shin made sure he and Mako got clean clothes and blankets, and Hiroko, Shady's main girlfriend, made sure they got at least one meal a day.

Things could be worse.

On the other hand, there was the work.

At first, Bolin had a relatively easy task. He was a lookout, making sure Republic City's police stayed away. Then he got promoted. From noon to sunset, he dashed across the streets of the district and passed out silk pouches in exchange for bundles of yuans.

Every morning, Hiroko helped stuff his bag with the silk pouches after breakfast and pinched his cheeks. Bolin liked Hiroko, for the most part. She was pretty, with light brown skin almost like the color of weak tea and large honey colored eyes. Every afternoon, she told him to be careful and that he was a good boy.

Bolin didn't question what exactly was in the pouches. Once, he'd overheard Shady refer to it as "product" and he had asked Mako, but Mako just shrugged.

The people who bought the "product" were strange. Some looked very nice and sophisticated, like they came from the better districts of Republic City, and others looked gaunt and worn down, almost hungry. Not hungry for food, though, hungry for something else that Bolin didn't understand.

The woman approaching him fit in neither category.

She was tall and well-built, obviously a bender. She walked somewhat stiffly, which led Bolin to think she was either nervous or angry. Her clothes were fitted, but she still seemed out of her element-

Bolin snickered at his own joke-

He looked up in her face and saw three scars on her cheek, which sat below vibrant green eyes. She looked down at him and cleared her throat, "You're a little young to be out here by yourself."

"I'm ten," Bolin said and shrugged. Mako had been driving since he was ten and Bolin had hoped that Shady would let him do it, too.

The woman pursed her lips and Bolin pulled the straps on his bag. She would not be making a purchase from him. "You're always out here."

"My brother told me not to talk to strangers," Bolin said and shrugged, taking off down the sidewalk. He knew she wouldn't pursue him- that would be a bad idea. Bolin thought it was weird that Mako had told him not to talk to strangers, and now it was his job to talk to people on the street.

Talking to strangers had gotten them into this mess in the first place, but they'd been hungry.

As he slowed his pace, Bolin caught sight of a large group of people. There was one man standing on an empty crate, fist up in the air. He was surrounded by relatively older people, people that gave off the impression of being parents or grandparents.

"Get poison off our streets!" The man on the crate shouted, "destroying our homes and families, poisoning our bodies and minds! Down with Jumsum!"

Bolin didn't know what Jumsum was, but he figured that it had something to do with the silk pouches. And Bolin didn't exactly know why, but he began to feel sick. He knelt down and put his head between his knees, breathing deeply.

His palms pressed against the sidewalk and Bolin instantly felt the sick feeling reside. The earth rippled under his fingertips, every impurity becoming visible underneath his eyelids. The earth felt good to him, it felt comforting and natural. Like a paradise he could always have access to.

"Psst, kid!" A sharp voice caught his attention from behind a fruit cart. It was a scraggly looking boy, barely older than Mako. "You got somethin'?"

Bolin shrugged his backpack off as the boy crawled over to him, holding out a fat wad of yuans. Bolin accepted them and passed the boy two silken bags. He watched as the boy scuttled away and for a long while, Bolin sat on the sidewalk with his hands pressed to the ground and counted the poor souls that passed by him.


	3. Chapter 3

From this point onward, the story will be more cohesive and linear with the introduction of Korra. (Yay)

* * *

Jumsum made you feel like you were dreaming.

The Phoenix made you fly.

Mako had seen them both. He could define every member of the Triad by what they preferred. Shady Shin liked the Phoenix, it brought him money and made him feel on top of the world. Hiroko, Shady's girlfriend, liked Jumsum.

The people on the streets could be defined the same way. The richer folks could afford the Phoenix and the poor ones wanted to escape their horrible reality through false dreams.

The rich people were the type who didn't want to be seen on the streets, and that's where Mako's job came in.

When Mako turned sixteen years old, Shady Shin bought him a motorcycle. It was red and silver, polished to the point of showing his reflection. It was fresh off the lot, he explained, and Mako could use it whenever, just so long as he got the job done.

Delivering wasn't hard. Most of the time, Mako waited for them at the back door of their home. They thanked him and paid him, occasionally offered him food, and sent him on his way.

Mako wondered if his parents would be proud or ashamed. His father had told him to provide for his family, but his mother had made him swear to stay off the streets.

He strapped the case onto the back of his motorcycle, securing it with a thick band and pulled his helmet over his head. He tucked his scarf under his chin, feeling the fraying yarn. If he smelled it, the scent would still linger, even though it had been ten years.

Mako started the motorcycle.

Hiroko, who at times seemed to be more level headed than Shady Shin, had organized for him to deliver a sample. She told him it was a new customer, who hoped to cash in by giving them a cut.

Balancing the motorcycle between his legs, Mako warmed his palms using his bending. The Republic City winter was beginning to set in, something that Mako knew and understood all too well.

Mako absently decided that he would go to Narook's Noodle Shop and get Water Tribe noodles for Bolin. They hadn't had those in a while and the cold weather seemed to fit.

He donned his helmet and steered the motorcycle onto the street. He knew every dirty back alley and side street by memory, having driven through them since he was ten.

Buildings had been plastered with posters and signs. "A revolutionary movement" they said, "Join the Equalists and get what you deserve."

Mako had heard the sentiments. Some non-benders claimed they faced discrimination, but Mako knew nothing about that. He was a firebender and had grown up around the Triple Threat Triads, a diverse swarm of benders that seemed to be on its way to taking control of the city underground.

Jumsum and the Phoenix did not discriminate.

The motorcycle rolled evenly over the pavement, a hum that somehow seemed beyond Mako, somehow went over his head.

There were times when Mako felt like he was five hundred years old. The Triads would throw lavish parties and the Jumsum and Phoenix would flow freely and Mako could almost imagine his mother bursting in and sweeping Mako and Bolin up into her arms and taking them back home. He could almost imagine his father raising the earth and burying all the Triads and bas memories, and then there were times when Mako felt as though he was the only sane man.

The road before him was open.

There was a large blur of white and a shout. Mako felt his body fly from the motorcycle, felt the cool air whispering over his skin and then the hard slam of his bones against the concrete.

Mako groaned and lifted his head, only to find a massive white paw pressing down on his chest. He looked up into a snarling canine face and sharp black eyes. Mako wondered if he should scream or be quiet.

He chose to be quiet.

A girl slid down from the back of the white beast's back and knelt down, eyes wide and blue, and full of concern. She pushed the animal's paw from his chest, apologizing profusely as she did so. "Sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going, I'm new here and-"

" My motorcycle," Mako exhaled and shrugged the girl off. She had the typical Water Tribe features: brown skin and hair, blue eyes. "Where'd it go?"

The girl pointed and Mako saw that his motorcycle had spun away from him, idling on its side. The case had been thrown loose and was lying open, exposing the purple and red bags that he had to deliver.

"I was running from the cops- long story," the girl said and grabbed his sleeve, pulling him up to his feet. "I didn't see you..."

Mako nodded absently and dashed to the case, shoving the product back inside. "I figured as much," he said and groaned as the girl knelt to help him, tossing one of the silk bags into the air. Mako snatched it away from her. "Don't touch that. Please."

The Water Tribe girl raised her brow and watched his hands. Behind them, her vicious steed began to snarl and howl. The girl cursed and Mako caught the sound of sirens rapidly approaching. "Sorry," she said again.

A shadow fell upon them and Mako looked up. A police airship hovered over them, sirens blaring. The white beast began to run in circles and the girl grabbed Mako's hand. "Come on!" She cried and dragged him towards the animal.

"Naga, down!" The white beast, the "Naga" bent and the girl climbed onto its back. Mako scrambled on after her, clutching the case to his chest. The girl snapped the reins on the canine's harness and the great animal began to run.

"My name is Korra, by the way," the girl said to him, looking over her shoulder. "Sorry about all this."

Mako forced the ill feeling in his throat down and shrugged. "It's okay," he whimpered, "you can call me Mako." He wondered if telling her his name was a good idea.

Korra pulled hard on the "Naga's" reins and they turned into an alley, tearing down the paper lanterns that had been hung between the buildings. The police sirens began to grow more distant and the animal began to slow into a fast trot.

Mako realized he was shaking.

The girl, Korra, commanded the animal to halt and slid from its back in one graceful movement. She opened her palms and Mako saw fire spark from her fingertips.

"You're a firebender?" Mako asked as he leaped from the canine's back, forcing his legs to stop trembling. She looked stereotypically Water Tribe.

Korra grinned. "Uh huh. And a waterbender and an earthbender, and I'm trying to become an airbender." She put one hand on her hip.

"Oh kill me," Mako said and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're the Avatar and I'm an idiot."

The Avatar gestured to his case."So what's in it?"

Mako froze. "Some people would say the key to happiness, " he answered and Korra looked confused. "You're not from here, you wouldn't understand."

After a long pause, the Avatar's eyes lit up. They dimmed just as quickly and a deep frown marred her face.

"You're a drug dealer?"

"I'd prefer something less harsh but I suppose."

She came at him with fire at her fists, eyes glowing. She nearly landed a punch on him, the fire licking at his hair. "You're hurting people!" She screamed and Mako ducked as her fist slammed into the wall behind him. She seemed unfazed.

Mako deflected her next blow, closing his fists around the fire and dousing it. "I'm just the middle man," he said and the earth beneath him began to ripple and crack. "Do you think I like what I do?!"

"If you didn't, you'd stop!" She stomped her foot and the ground threw him across the alley, smashing against a dumpster. "If you really cared, you'd stop."

Mako conjured his own flame, swinging his leg in an arcing kick that sent fire towards the girl. "Some people don't have a choice," he growled, "If I could get out, I would. If my brother and I could put this behind us, I'd do it in a heartbeat."

The Avatar paused, dropping her hands. "What do you mean?"

"Once you're in this business, the Triads don't let you out. I owe my life to them and if giving people an addiction means a safe place for my brother then...then," Mako looked at the Avatar and she looked at him, her glare softening and Mako figured he had never seen someone so vicious yet so intriguing.

Korra looked at the case, lying between them. She flicked her fingers and a small burst of flame set the case alight, causing its contents to go up in foul black smoke. She made a face. "Go get your brother, " she said to him, "and I'll prove you wrong."

* * *

_Sidenote:Jumsum comes from the Chinese god Jum Sum, the god of sleep and dreams._

Please review, if you feel inclined to do so (hopefully)


	4. Chapter 4

"Y'know, Mako, this doesn't really sound like a bright idea." Bolin put his hands on his hips, looking from his brother to the tall Water Tribe girl who called herself the Avatar. "I mean, normally you have good plans."

Mako looked at him and at the Avatar, and Bolin could've sworn he had that Look on his face, that expression that resembled constipation and infatuation at the same time. That Avatar was pretty, gorgeous in a way that city girls weren't. "Korra has all the details."

Bolin smiled. "Ah, a woman with a plan." He looped an arm around the Avatar's shoulders and she grinned at him. Good signs, Bolin thought, good signs. "We gotta leave soon, though. Shady and Hiroko will be back anytime."

Shady Shin and Hiroko were in turbulent times. They had left behind Bolin to guard the house while they went to the women's hospital to "tie up loose ends". Bolin wasn't sure what that meant.

The Avatar looked back at her white canine beast, which she affectionately referred to as Naga. "Well, you guys can climb on Naga's back. She doesn't bite, she just looks grumpy."

Bolin dared approach the white furred animal, extending his hand. Losing an extremity wasn't as bad as losing his life. To his surprise, the animal sniffed his hand, its tail wagging with enthusiasm. It licked his hand and Bolin yelped. "Don't eat me!"

Korra, the Avatar, laughed. "She won't." In a fluid, practiced motion, she gripped the giant animal's harness and swung into the saddle, offering Bolin her hand. "Come on!"

Mako shook his head, cradling his motorcycle helmet under his arm. "I'll pass." He slipped the helmet over his head and disappeared around the side of the house. Bolin heard his bike roar to life.

Bolin gripped Korra's hand and she hauled him up with no effort. "You're strong," he said as he settled into the saddle behind her. "Part of the job description."

"Yeah!" Korra snapped the reins and Naga took off down the street, her feet sliding for traction on the smooth asphalt. She gained her balance and they were off, tearing down the road in a blur of white and blue and green. Mako followed behind, his motorcycle slick and fast.

They passed through the upper-class districts, with their clean buildings and a population that was not glass-eyed and hungry. When they were younger, Mako and Bolin would make up stories where the rich families would adopt them, and they would have slicked back hair and wear ascots.

Korra took them to the edge of Republic City, weaving in between cars and pedestrians. Mako turned down a sidestreet and emerged ahead of them, slamming on the brakes. Korra pulled hard on Naga's reins.

They boarded a ferry and Bolin saw that the Avatar was taking them to the airbending temple, where the last airbender and his children lived. He saw the massive stone complex rise up, with all its trees and courtyards and pavilions. "You live here?!" Bolin asked.

The Avatar nodded. "Yep. Tenzin is teaching me airbending and spirituality and all that jazz. It's pretty nice." She put her hands on the railing of the boat and waved at a tall figure clad in orange and yellow.

The ferry landed and Korra led her steed down the ramp. Bolin looked up as the man in yellow and orange robes approached them. He was bald, except for a dark brown beard and bushy eyebrows. Korra bowed and Mako and Bolin followed her lead.

"This is Mako and Bolin, the boys I was telling you about, Tenzin." Korra turned back to them, "Guys, this is Tenzin, my airbending master. And technically my son."

Bolin snorted. Past life problems.

Tenzin looked at them, as if appraising them. "Korra told me that you two were involved in some...less than savory dealings. As long as you live here," he said, "you're free of that."

Mako and Bolin exchanged glances. Getting out of it was that easy. The thing they had dreamed about for years.

That easy.

* * *

The last time Bolin had sat at a proper dinner table, he was eleven years old. Hiroko had cooked and ended up burning up the food, so she had ordered delivery. It was when she and Shady were going good, and she had told Mako and Bolin to wash their faces. All four of them had sat at the table and ate Narook's.

The dinner table at the Air Temple was crowded. Tenzin had three children and a wife, with a fourth child on the way. The younger two scrambled over each other, shouting and laughing. The oldest sat with her nose buried in her book, sneaking glances at them every once in a while.

"So, Mako, Bolin," said Pema, Tenzin's wife. She stopped, struggling to find something to say. "How's...do you like the Air Temple?"

Mako nodded stiffly and Bolin smiled. "It's really nice," he replied. Hiroko and Shady would be home by now, and they would wonder where they were. "Do you guys always eat together? As a family?"

Pema looked at him, a motherly gaze that made Bolin want to turn back into a six year old. "And now you're part of the family, too."

* * *

As the sun set over Air Temple Island, they sat on a veranda, watching the water turn gold and violet. Republic City lit up, its lights gold and red. Tenzin and Korra sat across from them, their faces long and solemn.

"The City Council will want you to give them information about the Triple Threat Triad and the drug dealing." Tenzin paused as Bolin and Mako winced. "I'll make sure that no one will try to persecute you."

Drug dealing was such an ugly, raw term. Jumsum and the Phoenix were drugs, Bolin thought, though he had never seen them as such. They were drug dealers. They were drug dealers, past tense. No longer. They were free from that.

Mako leaned forward and laced his hands together. "The man that took us in is known as Shady Shin. He's a lieutenant for the Triple Threats. He took us in when we were nine and seven years old."

Korra watched them, her blue eyes sparkling. "You've been with them for nine years?"

"It wasn't so bad," Bolin added, "we had somewhere to sleep and eat, and Shady's girlfriend would take of us. She bought us clothes and taught us stuff. It was better than living on the street."

"When did they get you involved in the...business?" Tenzin asked. "And did they ever try to get you to..."

"No." Mako shook his head. "Hiroko made sure we never tried anything. They're gangsters, not monsters." He looked at Bolin. "For nine years, they were the only ones who cared about us. Anything we owned, they bought us."

"They were the only family we had," Bolin finished for him, and they nodded together, and that was that.


End file.
